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Roos look to bust Sydney AFL bogey

Adrian Warren

Sunday's SCG clash with bogey side Sydney looms as a real litmus test of North Melbourne's finals credentials, as they look to build on successive AFL wins.

The Kangaroos' seven-match losing streak against the Swans is their current longest against any club and it is seven years since they last beat Sydney.

The Swans (1-2) play at their SCG headquarters for the first time this year, having won their past four games there against the Kangaroos (2-1), whose last victory celebration at the famous venue was 10 years ago.

Adding to the curiosity factor will be the first SCG appearance in Swans colours for Lance Franklin, who kicked 15.14 there in five games for Hawthorn.

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Excluding off-season recruit Nick Dal Santo, only six members of this week's Kangaroos outfit have experienced a win against Sydney.

"They've been a good outfit for a long, long time so it's going to be a very tough game for us," Kangaroos veteran Brent Harvey said.

"After the weekend, the boys go in with enormous confidence.

"We played Port Adelaide and they're very fit. Our last quarter showed we're just as fit, if not fitter."

A loss for Sydney would raise more questions about their pre-season status as genuine title contenders.

They lost their first two games before opening their season account in emphatic fashion with a big win over the Crows in Adelaide.

"It's only one week where we've had a win and had a decent game, so we know we still have a lot of hard work to do," Sydney midfielder Tom Mitchell told AAP.

"We need to improve again this week so we're not resting on our laurels. We've still got to step it up.

"They are going to have some real quality players we're going to have to try and shut down, so we know it's going to be a big challenge."

Sydney named an unchanged side while the Kangaroos recalled veteran defender Michael Firrito in place of the injured Jamie Macmillan.